Atherton City Council Meeting - 2/21

The Atherton City Council meets this Wednesday, February 21 at 7PM. - AGENDA(Closed session will be held at 6:30PM).

The regular agenda will include a review and discussion of the Fire Services Fiscal Review, Caltrain Electrification Project, 2018 Earth Day Event in Atherton, Middlefield Road Class II Bike Lanes, RFP for Business License Tax Consulting, and an update on the Town's Civic Center Project. To review the entire agenda including the consent calendar and the staff reports - CLICK HERE

Town Hall Closed - 2/19

Town Administrative Offices will be closed this Monday, February 19 to observe Presidents Day.

Construction is NOT allowed on Monday.

The Police Department is unaffected by the closure.

Atherton's New Public Works Director/City Engineer

We are pleased to announce that the Town has hired a Public Works Director/City Engineer. Robert Ovadia began employment with the Town earlier this month.

Robert is a Licensed Civil Engineer and has a Masters in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelors from California State University, Long Beach. His certifications include the Association of Floodplain Managers and Public Works Officers Institute.

Most recently, Robert worked for the City of Concord as the City Engineer. As a Division Manager within Concord’s Community and Economic Development Department, he was responsible for overseeing the City’s Capital Improvement Program, Development Engineering, Floodplain Management, Stormwater Management, and the Sewer Enterprise fund. He managed a full-time staff of 16 in two offices, with combined budgets in excess of $45M. Before that, Robert worked in various engineering positions with the City of Daly City from 2000-2012.

We are excited to add Robert’s depth of knowledge and experience to our team. Robert's contact information is below.

Middlefield Road Bike Lanes Meeting

As part of the Town’s ongoing efforts to improve safety and implement the Town’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan, the Town has prepared a preliminary layout for the proposed bicycle lane improvements along Middlefield Road between Jennings Lane and Ringwood Avenue.

Construction is scheduled for the Summer of 2018.

Please join us to learn more about the proposed plan and give us your input in a collaborative effort to improve roadway safety along Middlefield Road.

Emergency Assembly Points in Atherton

The Town of Atherton, in conjunction with the Menlo Fire Department Community Crisis Management - Community Emergency Response Team( CERT) program and ADAPT (the Atherton Disaster And Preparedness Team), the local volunteer organization comprised of Atherton residents to help support the community and First Responders in the event of a major disaster or emergency, have just launched an important new initiative for emergency preparedness: Emergency Assembly Points (EAP’s).

What is an Emergency Assembly Point (EAP)?EAP’s are designated neighborhood gathering points where nearby residents can assemble and organize a response for their local neighborhood in the event of a majoremergency, such as an earthquake. These locations (designated by a special sign) arecurrently going up all over Atherton.

An Emergency Assembly Pont is a well-developed and well-known FEMA (FederalEmergency Response Agency) disaster management tool for communities and neighborhoods. EAP’s are being established throughout Atherton’s neighborhoods to allow our residents to come together at these designated meeting points for the benefit ofefficiently organizing to support their fellow neighbors and neighborhoods.

What’s the Plan and Timing For Establishing EAP’s?The plan is to have about 25 of these EAP locations established throughout Atherton when completed over the next several months. To date, 15 of the 25 locations have beenconfirmed and their corresponding signs will be installed by the end of February 2018. OurADAPT Area Coordinators/Neighborhood Leaders have helped identify appropriate placesin their neighborhoods, and the ADAPT team has collaborated with the Town’s Public Works Department to safely locate and install the signs. ADAPT will work with Area Coordinators/Neighborhood Leaders and others to find appropriate locations for the remaining 10 locations/signs.

What Do I Do When I Get To An EAP, Say After An Earthquake Hits?Our Emergency Assembly Points should be the first place that residents go, after makingsure their family and households are safe and secure. Once there with their fellowneighbors, residents can organize and form a plan to help one another in the aftermath.Teams should be formed for neighborhood reconnaissance and house-to-house lightsearch and rescue and to take stock of injuries, damage and assistance requirements,which then can be communicated to Police, Fire and the Town to get help.

Actual EAP Sign

Actual EAP Sign in Atherton

Actual EAP Sign

Where Are The EAP’s?Over time, we hope to have one or two EAP’s per general neighborhood. Please see theattached list for the current locations by Area/neighborhood. Maps will be available shortlyshowing each EAP location and will be available on the ADAPT website:www.getreadyatherton.org

Who Do I Call/Contact If There Is a Specific EAP-Related Question Or Want toRecommend a New EAP Sign/Location?Scott Barnum650-224-5671 / microbarny@msn.com